Category Archives: Development

Oakville Council approved additional planning and conservation measures designed to conserve the cultural heritage value and attributes of the Glen Abbey Golf Course at its Planning and Development Council meeting last night. These measures included specific official plan and zoning amendments, a Cultural Heritage Landscape Conservation Plan by-law, and a Cultural Heritage Landscape Conservation Plan for the Glen Abbey property. Staff also tabled proposed amendments to existing town site alteration, private tree protection and property standards by-laws with respect to cultural heritage landscapes and protected heritage properties. All of these measures have helped further the town’s implementation of the planning and cultural heritage studies that were undertaken while the town’s interim control by-law (ICB) restricted Glen Abbey to its existing uses.

“The ICB provided the town with sufficient time to carry out studies on the cultural heritage value and interest of the property, as well as the potential impact of ClubLink’s proposal to redevelop its Glen Abbey Golf Course property on the growth of our community,” Mayor Rob Burton said. “Council is confident that the official plan and zoning amendments approved tonight conform to provincial, regional and town official plans and that the Conservation Plan creates a workable plan to retain the cultural heritage value of the Glen Abbey Golf Course property.”

Town Council officially designated the Glen Abbey Golf Course property for its heritage value on December 20, 2017. The designation recognized the property as a significant cultural heritage landscape. Provincial policy and the 2017 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe require that significant cultural heritage landscapes be conserved. The Cultural Heritage Landscape Conservation Plan for Glen Abbey Golf Course, as well as the official plan and zoning by-law amendments, provide guidance to ensure that any future alterations to the property conserve the significant cultural heritage landscape of Glen Abbey. The plan also outlines what activities would require town consent, and what would be exempt.

Town Council voted unanimously to pass By-law 2017-138, a by-law that designates Glen Abbey Golf Course property as a property of cultural heritage value or interest. The town will now issue a Notice of Designation to ClubLink, the owner of the property, and register this designation on the title of the property. The property will also be added to the Oakville, provincial and Canadian registers of designated properties.

“This by-law is the end result of a very comprehensive process in which town staff, heritage experts and members of the community all put forth compelling evidence of the significant cultural heritage value and attributes of the Glen Abbey property,” Mayor Rob Burton said. “Council remains committed to conserving our cultural heritage.”

On August 21, 2017, Council directed staff to proceed with a Notice of Intention to Designate the Glen Abbey Golf Course property. Under the Ontario Heritage Act (the Act), anyone who objects to the Notice of Intention to Designate must file an objection within 30 days of the Notice being issued. The owner did not file an objection. The only objector to the town’s Notice was the Pacific Life Insurance Company, the mortgagee. On Monday December 18, 2017, Pacific Life wrote to the Conservation Review Board to withdraw its objection. As there were no outstanding objections, the Conservation Review Board closed its file. Pursuant to Section 29 of the Act, this closure returned the matter back to Town Council to proceed as if no objection had been received. Council was required to either proceed with the by-law designating the Glen Abbey Golf Course property, or withdraw the Notice of Intention to Designate. The Town Council decision to proceed with this designation provides certainty to both the town and the property owner on the specific cultural heritage landscape value and interest of the property and the description of heritage attributes.